(Telecompaper) Apple returned to growth in the smartphone market in the second quarter in Europe's five largest countries, while losing share in the US, according to the latest figures from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. Apple's gains were the strongest in the UK of the five European markets, adding 5.5 percent points year-on-year to reach 34.1 percent of smartphone sales. Android's share in the UK fell by 6.1 points to 53.2 percent. In Spain, Italy, Germany and France, Android still had over 70 percent of the market, with as much as 88 percent in Spain, up 3 percent points from a year earlier. In the US, Apple's market share fell by 2.3 percent points year-on-year to 30.5 percent, while Android gained 3.4 points to reach 66.1 percent. Kantar estimates that both Samsung and LG increased their shares sequentially in the period in the US and together took 78 percent of all Android sales. LG especially performed well, doubling its share of the US market and also for the first time acquiring more first-time smartphone buyers than Samsung. Forty-three percent of all Android buyers in the US mentioned a 'good deal on the price of the phone' as the main purchase driver for their new device, while the size of the screen was the main factor driving Android sales in Europe. Microsoft's Windows Phone also showed some gains in the quarter, adding 4.1 percent points in both Germany and Italy to reach respectively 10.5 and 14.2 percent of smartphone sales. Its share in the US was up 1.1 points to 3.0 percent in Q2. Apple also posted strong gains in China, taking just over a fifth of sales, up by 7.3 points from a year ago. Android's share in China fell to 79.0 percent from 84.3 a year ago. Huawei's Honor brand led sales in China, Kantar said, while Meizu also posted a strong increase in market share. In Japan, Apple also grew, by 2.7 points to 42.2 percent of sales, while Android fell to 54.4 percent from 59.6 a year ago.